Pilfer-resistant peg hook assembly

Abstract

A pilfer-resistant peg hook assembly for supporting a plurality of articles incorporating defined slots and enabling only one article at a time to be removed therefrom is formed of a peg hook and a flipper. The peg hook has a pair of opposed ends and a body connecting the same. One of the hook ends is configured and dimensioned to maintain the hook body in a substantially horizontal first plane when mounted on an appropriate surface, and the other of the hook ends is a free end. The hook body is configured and dimensioned to be received in the slots of the articles and extends only in the first plane. The flipper is pivotably secured adjacent the free end and is movable between an enabling orientation enabling at least partial passage of an article along the hook body and onto the flipper as the article initially moves towards the free end, and a blocking orientation precluding passage of an article onto the flipper as the article moves towards the free end. The flipper is cammed into the blocking orientation as the article continues to pass over the flipper towards the free end.

We claim: 
     
       1. A pilfer-resistant peg hook assembly for supporting a plurality of articles incorporating defined camming slots and enabling only one article at a time to be removed, comprising: (A) a peg hook having a pair of opposed ends and a body connecting the same, one of said hook ends being configured and dimensioned to maintain said hook body in a first plane when mounted on an appropriate surface and the other of said hook ends being a free end, said hook body being configured and dimensioned to be received in the slots of the articles and extending only in said first plane; and   (B) a flipper pivotably secured to said hook adjacent said free end and being movable between an enabling orientation enabling at least partial passage of an article along said hook body and onto said flipper as the article initially moves towards said free end, and a blocking orientation precluding passage of another article onto said flipper by the camming slot as the article moves towards said free, end, said flipper including a cammed slot being cammed into said blocking orientation as the article continues to pass over said flipper towards said free end.   
     
     
       2. The peg hook assembly of claim 1 wherein said flipper defines a generally planar front end portion and a generally planar rear end portion, said front and rear end portions being disposed at an obtuse angle and defining a vertex. 
     
     
       3. The peg hook assembly of claim 2 wherein said front and rear end portions of said flipper define an obtuse angle of 140°-160°. 
     
     
       4. The peg hook assembly of claim 2 wherein said front end portion of said flipper and said free end of said hook are in the same plane when said flipper is in said blocking orientation and in intersecting planes when said flipper is in said enabling orientation. 
     
     
       5. The peg hook assembly of claim 4 wherein said rear end portion of said flipper and said body of said hook are in generally the same plane when said flipper is in said enabling orientation and in intersecting planes when said flipper is in said blocking orientation. 
     
     
       6. The peg hook assembly of claim 2 wherein said rear end portion of said flipper and said body of said hook are in generally the same plane when said flipper is in said enabling orientation and in intersecting planes when said flipper is in said blocking orientation. 
     
     
       7. The peg hook assembly of claim 1 wherein said flipper is returned by gravity into said enabling orientation by an article passing off said free end of said hook. 
     
     
       8. The peg hook assembly of claim 1 wherein said flipper front end portion is pivotally secured to said free end of said hook and said flipper rear end portion extends generally towards said one end of said hook. 
     
     
       9. The peg hook assembly of claim 1, wherein said first plane is substantially horizontal. 
     
     
       10. The peg hook assembly of claim 2 wherein said vertex is disposed below said first plane when said flipper is in said enabling orientation, and generally in said first plane when said flipper is in said blocking orientation. 
     
     
       11. The peg hook assembly of claim 1 including means to limit pivoting of said flipper relative to said hook body in both directions. 
     
     
       12. A pilfer-resistant peg hook assembly for supporting a plurality of articles incorporating defined camming slots and enabling only one article at a time to be removed therefrom, comprising: (A) a generally horizontal peg hook having a pair of opposed ends and a body connecting the same, one of said hook ends being configured and dimensioned to maintain said body substantially horizontal when mounted on an appropriate surface and the other of said hook ends being a free end, said hook body being configured and dimensioned to be received in the slots of the articles and extending only in said first plane; and   (B) a flipper pivotably secured adjacent said free end and extending partially towards said one end, said flipper defining a generally planar front end portion and a generally planar rear end portion, said front and rear end portions being disposed at an obtuse angle of 140°-160°, said flipper being movable between an enabling orientation enabling at least partial passage of an article along said hook body and onto said flipper rear end portion as the article moves towards said free end, and a blocking orientation precluding passage of another article onto said flipper as the article moves towards said free end, said flipper being cammed into said blocking orientation by the camming slots as the article passing over said flipper front end portion and being returned by gravity into said enabling orientation by the article passing off said free end of said hook, said flipper front end portion being pivotally secured to said free end and said flipper rear end portion extending generally towards said one end of said hook; said front end portion of said flipper and said free end of said hook being in the same plane when said flipper is in said blocking orientation and in intersecting planes when said flipper is in said enabling orientation, and   said rear end portion of said flipper and said body of said hook being in the same plane when said flipper is in said enabling orientation and in intersecting planes when said flipper is in said blocking orientation.